Nigeria sealed their place in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations with a dramatic late winner against Botswana, becoming the first team to progress from the group stage.
Substitute Chinwendu Ihezuo scored the decisive goal in the 89th minute at the Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca. She slid in perfectly to convert a low cross from fellow substitute Esther Okoronkwo, squeezing the ball past Botswana goalkeeper Sedilame Boseja and sparking wild celebrations from the Super Falcons.
The hard-fought 1-0 victory maintained Nigeria’s flawless run in the tournament, placing them firmly at the top of Group B. Their six points from two matches guarantee a top-two finish and a quarter-final berth, regardless of results in the final round of fixtures. Earlier in the day, North African rivals Tunisia and Algeria battled to a goalless draw, a result that leaves Algeria second in the group with four points, while Tunisia picked up their first point of the competition to sit third.
Botswana, who impressed by reaching the last eight on their tournament debut in 2022, now face the prospect of an early exit after suffering back-to-back defeats.
The group stage will conclude on Sunday, with Nigeria set to face Algeria, while Tunisia meet Botswana. Both matches are scheduled to kick off simultaneously at 19:00 GMT, and will be decisive in determining the final standings and the second quarter-final qualifier from the group.
However, Group B has taken a dramatic turn off the pitch as well. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that it has launched an investigation into “alleged violations” of its statutes and regulations by Algeria during the tournament. The outcome of this probe could have significant implications for the group standings and the teams’ hopes of advancing.
As it stands, Nigeria remain in pole position, while the race for the second qualification spot and the potential disciplinary fallout promises plenty of intrigue in the coming days.
